Lowry: “I Love Toronto And Want To Stay A Raptor”

The Kyle Lowry rumor mill is churning once again. After ESPN’s Marc Stein simply HAD to put his two cents in (in what was likely a slow news day), The Toronto Raptors are back at the forefront of trade rumors with Lowry being the prime candidate. On the other hand, Bill Ingram of Basketball Insiders (previously Hoops World) claims that his sources indicate Lowry is off the block.

Trade rumble: Sense around league remains Toronto more likely to trade Kyle Lowry than keep him to prevent losing asset for nothing. But …

— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) January 27, 2014

Issue here hasn’t changed: No team out there willing YET to meet Raps’ asking price for PG who, nice as he’s playin, can bolt in free agency

— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) January 27, 2014

To add to the confusing scenario, according to the Brooklyn Nets commentators, Lowry said “I love Toronto, I want to stay a Raptor. This team is going to be really good in a few years.” However, there is no actual video evidence of this – the commentators said they talked to Lowry before the game.

This situation is hard to read at this point, however I would say not much has changed – Toronto’s focus is signing Lowry long term and Stein re-iterated a previous league-wide belief. The February 20th trade deadline is approaching, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Lowry is a hot topic. Expect some Bleacher Report ‘potential destinations for Lowry’ and such, however I don’t think there will be any actual new rumors.

Unfortunately, the CBA differs from the NHL in the sense that it is much harder to extend a player during the regular season, so that’s likely out of the question, meaning Lowry will be the point of discussion for the next few weeks.

Before the game last night, Masai Ujiri and Lowry’s agent Andy Miller had a chat. Apparently, Miller was all smiles.

After the game last night, Ujiri and Lowry shared a moment. Lowry was also quoted saying “Masai is like a second dad to me.” Ok, maybe he didn’t say that. Regardless, I think Ujiri is really starting to buy into this team and the passion they bring to the court every night. For that reason, I strongly believe Lowry will remain a Raptor for years to come.